Apple

5 Things to Know About the iOS 11.2.5 Update

Published

6 years ago

02/15/2018

Apple’s iOS 11.2.5 update is out of beta and it delivers a short list of changes including support for the HomePod speaker. It’s also causing serious problems for some iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch users.

The company’s skipped over iOS 11.2.3 and iOS 11.2.4 in favor of an iOS 11.2.5 update.

iOS 11.2.5 is a maintenance release for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch users though it’s a little bit larger than your standard bug fix release. It comes with a mixture of bug fixes, patches, and yes, some new features.

In this guide we’ll take you through the most important things to know, right now, about the iOS 11.2.5 update’s changes, its performance, iOS 11.2.5 problems, and what’s coming next from Apple.

iOS 11.2.5 Reviews

If you’re currently running Apple’s iOS 11.2.2 update, you should be able to get the iOS 11.2.5 update running on your device in less than 10 minutes.

The iOS 11.2.5 update is much larger than the two previous versions of iOS 11. The iPhone X iOS 11.2.2 update was only a few MB. iOS 11.2.5 is nearly 200MB.

If you own an iPhone X you’re looking at a 175MB download size. iOS 11.2.5 should be a similar size for most iPhone and iPad models. If you’re connected to a fast network, your download should take less than a minute.

The iOS 11.2.5 installation process took about six minutes on the iPhone X. If you own an older device, it could take a little bit longer to finish up.

If you’re currently running an older version of iOS 11 on your iPhone or iPad, you can expect a bigger download and a longer installation period.

For more on the exact timing for your device, take a look at our iOS 11.2.5 download time walkthrough.

We’ve been using the iOS 11.2.5 update for an extended period of time and here are our impressions of the software running on the iPhone X, iPhone 7, iPhone 6, and others.

We haven’t experienced any weird battery drops. Battery life appears to be normal across all of our devices.

We’ve successfully connected the trio of iPhones to Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Speeds appear to be normal and we haven’t experienced any dropped connections. GPS and cellular data appear to be working normally as well.

We haven’t noticed any major problems with Twitter, Slack, Asana, Gmail, Chrome, or Spotify. Our core apps are performing well, but that’s obviously a small sample size. There’s a chance your core apps start acting up on iOS 11.2.5.

We haven’t experienced any lag on the iPhone X or iPhone 7 though we continue to notice occasional lag on the iPhone 6. On iOS 11.2.5, we’ve seen lag when using the keyboard, when pulling down Control Center, and when opening folders.

Most people should install iOS 11.2.5, but those of you using older devices should proceed to it with caution. We haven’t run into any major problems, but there’s a chance you will.

If you need additional feedback about iOS 11.2.5, take a look at our reasons to, and not to, install the iOS 11.2.5 update on your device right now.

We’ve also put together several mini iOS 11.2.5 reviews and you’ll find them at these links for the iPhone X, iPhone 8, iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6, iPhone 5s, iPhone SE, and the iPad Air 2, iPad Air, and iPad mini 2.

iOS 11.2.5: What’s New

Apple’s iOS 11.2.5 update delivers a nice mix of new features, bug fixes, and patches. It’s a small, but important upgrade.

The iOS 11.2.5 update includes a new Siri ability where users can instantly stream a news podcast when the personal assistant is asked about the news. This feature started rolling out to iOS 11.2.2 users a few days ago, but it’s now widely available in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia.

Apple’s latest update also comes with support for the HomePod speaker. Apple notes that you can now setup and automatically transfer your Apple ID, Apple Music, Siri and Wi-Fi settings to HomePod.

The HomePod speaker is out on shelves retails for $350. It also requires iPhone 5s or later, iPad Pro, iPad (5th generation), iPad Air or later, iPad mini 2 or later, or iPod touch (6th generation) running iOS 11.2.5 or later.

The iOS 11.2.5 update patches up the malicious chaiOS link exploit.

If you’re running iOS 11.2.2 or below and receive a specific GitHub link through the Messages app, your iPhone or iPad can lockup or respring. The Messages app will also become unusable.

The iOS 11.2.5 update comes with several bug fixes for lingering iOS 11 problems. These include:

Addresses an issue that could cause the Phone app to display incomplete information in the call list
Fixes an issue that caused Mail notifications from some Exchange accounts to disappear from the Lock screen when unlocking iPhone X with Face ID
Addresses an issue that could cause Messages conversations to temporarily be listed out of order
Fixes an issue in CarPlay where Now Playing controls become unresponsive after multiple track changes
Adds ability for VoiceOver to announce playback destinations and AirPod battery level

It also comes with several security patches.

iOS 11.2.5 Problems

The iOS 11.2.5 update is causing problems for some iPhone and iPad users.

iOS 11.2.5 users are complaining about other installation issues including frozen downloads, various problems with first and third-party apps, abnormal battery drain, and problems with connectivity (Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, cellular data). We’re also hearing about problems with Touch ID and Face ID.

Italian blog Mobile World has also discovered a nasty iOS 11.2.5 bug that lets people send a specific character that will crash an iOS-powered device and block access to the Messages app. It can also block apps like Facebook Messenger, Gmail, Outlook, and WhatsApp.

Apple’s iOS 11.3 update fixes the problem, but the update is still weeks away from a release.

If you’re noticing iOS 11.2.5 issues on your phone or tablet, take a look at our list of fixes for common iOS 11 problems. We’ve also released tips to improve iOS 11 performance and tips to improve iOS 11 battery life on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.

Unfortunately, once you make the move to iOS 11.2.5, you’re stuck.

Apple is no longer signing off on iOS 11.2, iOS 11.2.1 and iOS 11.2.2 which means you can no longer downgrade to an older version of iOS 11 if you’re unhappy with iOS 11.2.5 and its performance on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.

Unfortunately, you can’t drop down to anything older than iOS 11.2 either. Apple’s permanently closed off downgrades to older versions of iOS including iOS 10.

iOS 11.2.5 Jailbreak

Jailbreak users should avoid the iOS 11.2.5 update.

The iOS 11 update has been jailbroken for devices running iOS 11.0, iOS 11.0.1, iOS 11.0.2, iOS 11.0.3, iOS 11.1, iOS 11.1.1, or iOS 11.1.2. The LiberiOS jailbreak is for advanced users only and it currently doesn’t include Cydia.

There isn’t a working jailbreak for iOS 11.2, iOS 11.2.1, iOS 11.2.2, or the iOS 11.2.5 update and we aren’t expecting one to emerge anytime soon.

For more about the iOS 11 jailbreak, take a look at our roundup.

What’s Next

It’s unclear when Apple will roll out an emergency fix for the springboard issues, but it sure sounds like an iOS 11.2.6 update is in the works. Apple says a fix is coming “soon.”

An iOS 11.2.6 update is unconfirmed, but Apple’s confirmed an iOS 11.3 for release this spring.

The iOS 11.3 update is official and it’s set to bring a variety of changes to iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch including new battery features, new Animojis for the iPhone X, health records in the Health app, and more.

Keep an eye out for new iOS 11.3 betas as we push toward Apple’s semi-annual spring launch and the rumored iPhone SE 2 release date.

For more on iOS 11.2.5, take a look at our roundup below.

4 Reasons Not to Install iOS 11.4.1 & 8 Reasons You Should

Install iOS 11.4.1 for Better Security

1 / 12

Apple's iOS 11.4.1 update comes with 15 patches for potential security issues. If you value your security, you should think about installing it today.

iOS 11.4.1 also comes with a USB Restricted Mode that disables the Lightning port on your iPhone or iPad if a device hasn't been unlocked or connected to a computer using a passcode within a certain amount of time.

The new setting is located in Settings > Face ID/Touch ID & Passcode. There you’ll see a new toggle for USB Accessories. It's toggled off by default.

This provides an added layer of protection and prevents the use of cracking tools like GrayKey.

If you skipped iOS 11.4, your iOS 11.4.1 update comes with 30+ patches aimed at improving your device's security. This makes it an essential download for most iPhone and iPad users.

If you missed any of Apple's previous iOS updates, your iOS 11.4.1 update comes with a lot more.

If you skipped iOS 11.3.1, your version of iOS 11.4.1 comes with iOS 11.3.1's four security patches.

If you skipped iOS 11.3, your iOS 11.4.1 update comes with 27 additional patches for potential exploits. Those of you lingering on iOS 11.2.6 would be wise to make the move sooner rather than later.

If you missed iOS 11.3, your iOS 11.4.1 update also includes a new privacy feature. When an Apple feature wants to use your personal information, an icon now appears with a link to access detailed information about how your data will be used and protected.

If you're running iOS 11.2.5 or older, you're currently exposed to an issue that lets people send a specific character that will crash an iOS-powered device and block access to the Messages app. It can also block apps like Facebook Messenger, Gmail, Outlook, and WhatsApp.

The iOS 11.2.6 update's main purpose was to patch up this issue. If you skipped iOS 11.2.6, you'll get these enhancements with iOS 11.4.1.

If you skipped iOS 11.2.5, you'll get 10 additional security patches including one for the malicious chaiOS link exploit.

If you're running iOS 11.2.2 or below and receive a certain GitHub link through your Messages app, your iPhone or iPad can lockup or respring. The Messages app will also become unusable.

If you're on iOS 11.2.1, your iOS 11.4.1 update includes security improvements to Safari and WebKit to mitigate the effects of Spectre.

Apple's iOS 11.2 update fixed several problems, but it also brought problems of its own including a potentially nasty zero-day iOS HomeKit vulnerability.

The vulnerability, discovered by Tian Zhang, allowed for unauthorized control of HomeKit accessories including garage door openers and smart locks.

Apple quickly rolled out a server-side fix, but the company restored full functionality with the release of iOS 11.2.1. If you skipped iOS 11.2.1 and use HomeKit, you should download iOS 11.4.1 right now.

If you skipped iOS 11.2, you'll get a few more patches with your iOS 11.4.1 update. Apple's iOS 11.2 update delivered 11 patches including one for Mail and one for Wi-Fi.

The iOS 11.2 and iOS 11.2.1 updates also patched up a widespread security issue called "Meltdown." Apple says its analysis suggests it "has the most potential to be exploited."

Meltdown affects all iOS 11 powered devices so we highly recommend downloading iOS 11.4.1 if you skipped iOS 11.2.

If you skipped iOS 11.1.2, iOS 11.1.1, and iOS 11.1, you'll get additional patches with your iOS 11.4.1 update.

The iOS 11.1 update delivered eight security patches including a fix for a serious Wi-Fi vulnerability called KRACK or Key Reinstallation Attack. KRACK is an exploit that targets the common WPA2 encryption protocol.

If you're just now making to move from iOS 10 (or whatever you're on) to iOS 11, your iOS 11.4.1 update will come with even more security-related features.

Apple's first iOS 11 update delivered several patches for potential exploits. iOS 11 also comes with new security features aimed at keeping your data safe.

In iOS 11 you can't establish trust with a PC using fingerprints alone. You'll also need to put in a full passcode in order to gain that trust.

If you want to protect the data you store on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, you should make your move to the latest version of iOS. This is particularly important for those of you running older versions of iOS.